Pea line 08540793

ABSTRACT

The invention provides seed and plants of the pea line designated 08540793. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of pea line 08540793, and to methods for producing a pea plant produced by crossing a plant of pea line 08540793 with itself or with another pea plant, such as a plant of another line. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of pea line 08540793, including the seed, pod, and gametes of such plants.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of plant breeding and, morespecifically, to the development of pea line 08540793.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The goal of vegetable breeding is to combine various desirable traits ina single variety/hybrid. Such desirable traits may include greateryield, resistance to insects or pests, tolerance to heat and drought,better agronomic quality, higher nutritional value, growth rate andfruit or pod properties.

Breeding techniques take advantage of a plant's method of pollination.There are two general methods of pollination: a plant self-pollinates ifpollen from one flower is transferred to the same or another flower ofthe same plant or plant variety. A plant cross-pollinates if pollencomes to it from a flower of a different plant variety.

Plants that have been self-pollinated and selected for type over manygenerations become homozygous at almost all gene loci and produce auniform population of true breeding progeny, a homozygous plant. A crossbetween two such homozygous plants of different varieties produces auniform population of hybrid plants that are heterozygous for many geneloci. Conversely, a cross of two plants each heterozygous at a number ofloci produces a population of hybrid plants that differ genetically andare not uniform. The resulting non-uniformity makes performanceunpredictable.

The development of uniform varieties requires the development ofhomozygous inbred plants, the crossing of these inbred plants, and theevaluation of the crosses. Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection areexamples of breeding methods that have been used to develop inbredplants from breeding populations. Those breeding methods combine thegenetic backgrounds from two or more plants or various other broad-basedsources into breeding pools from which new lines are developed byselfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new lines are evaluatedto determine which of those have commercial potential.

One crop species which has been subject to such breeding programs and isof particular value is the pea. Peas are the round embryos which grow ina pod of a leguminous vine, belonging to the family Leguminosae(Fabaceae). The most well known species is Pisum sativum L., whichincludes the edible garden pea, a vegetable, and the field pea—grownespecially for animal feed. Depending on taxonomic interpretation, othermembers of the genus Pisum L. include Pisum elatius Steven ex M. Bieb.(wild pea), Pisum fulvum Sibthorp & Sm. (tawny pea), and Pisum syriacumLehman. (Syrian pea). There are many varieties of garden peas. These canbe grouped into those with low-fiber, edible flat pods, such as snowpeas and sugar peas, those with low-fiber, edible, thick pods, such assnap peas, and those with fibrous stringy pods, intended to be shelledfor the edible embryos inside, such as English peas.

Pea plants are able to reproduce by self-fertilization andcross-fertilization. Thus far, however, commercial pea varieties havebeen inbred lines prepared through self fertilization (McPhee, 2005).

Peas are one of the top vegetables used for processing in the UnitedStates; with approximately 90% of the grown pea acreage used forprocessed consumption (NASS Census of Agriculture 2002). The pea is anannual cool season plant, growing best in slightly acidic soil. Manycultivars reach maturity about 60 days after planting. Pea plants canhave both low-growing and vining cultivars. The vining cultivars growthin tendrils from the leaves of the plant, which coil around availablesupports. The pea pods form at the leaf axils of the plant.

As with other legumes, pea plants are able to obtain fixed nitrogencompounds from symbiotic soil bacteria. Pea plants therefore have asubstantially reduced fertilizer requirement compared to non-leguminouscrops. This advantage adds to their commercial value, particularly inview of increasing fertilizer costs, and has generated considerableinterest in the creation of new pea plant cultivars.

While breeding efforts to date have provided a number of useful pealines with beneficial traits, there remains a great need in the art fornew lines with further improved traits. Such plants would benefitfarmers and consumers alike by improving crop yields and/or quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a pea plant of the linedesignated 08540793. Also provided are pea plants having all thephysiological and morphological characteristics of the pea linedesignated 08540793. Parts of the pea plant of the present invention arealso provided, for example, including pollen, an ovule, a seed, a pod,and a cell of the plant.

The invention also concerns the seed of pea line 08540793. The pea seedof the invention may be provided as an essentially homogeneouspopulation of pea seed of the line designated 08540793. Essentiallyhomogeneous populations of seed are generally free from substantialnumbers of other seed. Therefore, seed of line 08540793 may be definedas forming at least about 97% of the total seed, including at leastabout 98%, 99% or more of the seed. The population of pea seed may beparticularly defined as being essentially free from hybrid seed. Theseed population may be separately grown to provide an essentiallyhomogeneous population of pea plants designated 08540793.

In another aspect of the invention, a plant of pea line 08540793comprising an added heritable trait is provided. The heritable trait maycomprise a genetic locus that is, for example, a dominant or recessiveallele. In one embodiment of the invention, a plant of pea line 08540793is defined as comprising a single locus conversion. In specificembodiments of the invention, an added genetic locus confers one or moretraits such as, for example, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance,disease resistance, and modified carbohydrate metabolism. In furtherembodiments, the trait may be conferred by a naturally occurring geneintroduced into the genome of the line by backcrossing, a natural orinduced mutation, or a transgene introduced through genetictransformation techniques into the plant or a progenitor of any previousgeneration thereof. When introduced through transformation, a geneticlocus may comprise one or more genes integrated at a single chromosomallocation.

In another aspect of the invention, a tissue culture of regenerablecells of a pea plant of line 08540793 is provided. The tissue culturewill preferably be capable of regenerating pea plants capable ofexpressing all of the physiological and morphological characteristics ofthe line, and of regenerating plants having substantially the samegenotype as other plants of the line. Examples of some of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of the line 08540793include those traits set forth in the tables herein. The regenerablecells in such tissue cultures may be derived, for example, from embryos,meristems, cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips,pistil, flower, seed and stalks. Still further, the present inventionprovides pea plants regenerated from a tissue culture of the invention,the plants having all the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of line 08540793.

In yet another aspect of the invention, processes are provided forproducing pea seeds, pods and plants, which processes generally comprisecrossing a first parent pea plant with a second parent pea plant,wherein at least one of the first or second parent pea plants is a plantof the line designated 08540793. These processes may be furtherexemplified as processes for preparing hybrid pea seed or plants,wherein a first pea plant is crossed with a second pea plant of adifferent, distinct line to provide a hybrid that has, as one of itsparents, the pea plant line 08540793. In these processes, crossing willresult in the production of seed. The seed production occurs regardlessof whether the seed is collected or not.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first step in “crossing”comprises planting seeds of a first and second parent pea plant, oftenin proximity so that pollination will occur for example, mediated byinsect vectors. Alternatively, pollen can be transferred manually. Wherethe plant is self-pollinated, pollination may occur without the need fordirect human intervention other than plant cultivation.

A second step may comprise cultivating or growing the seeds of first andsecond parent pea plants into plants that bear flowers. A third step maycomprise preventing self-pollination of the plants, such as byemasculating the male portions of flowers, (i.e., treating ormanipulating the flowers to produce an emasculated parent pea plant).Self-incompatibility systems may also be used in some hybrid crops forthe same purpose. Self-incompatible plants still shed viable pollen andcan pollinate plants of other varieties but are incapable of pollinatingthemselves or other plants of the same line.

A fourth step for a hybrid cross may comprise cross-pollination betweenthe first and second parent pea plants. Yet another step comprisesharvesting the seeds from at least one of the parent pea plants. Theharvested seed can be grown to produce a pea plant or hybrid pea plant.

The present invention also provides the pea seeds and plants produced bya process that comprises crossing a first parent pea plant with a secondparent pea plant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent peaplants is a plant of the line designated 08540793. In one embodiment ofthe invention, pea seed and plants produced by the process are firstgeneration (F₁) hybrid pea seed and plants produced by crossing a plantin accordance with the invention with another, distinct plant. Thepresent invention further contemplates plant parts of such an F₁ hybridpea plant, and methods of use thereof. Therefore, certain exemplaryembodiments of the invention provide an F₁ hybrid pea plant and seedthereof.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, the genetic complement ofthe pea plant line designated 08540793 is provided. The phrase “geneticcomplement” is used to refer to the aggregate of nucleotide sequences,the expression of which sequences defines the phenotype of, in thepresent case, a pea plant, or a cell or tissue of that plant. A geneticcomplement thus represents the genetic makeup of a cell, tissue orplant, and a hybrid genetic complement represents the genetic make up ofa hybrid cell, tissue or plant. The invention thus provides pea plantcells that have a genetic complement in accordance with the pea plantcells disclosed herein, and plants, seeds and plants containing suchcells.

Plant genetic complements may be assessed by genetic marker profiles,and by the expression of phenotypic traits that are characteristic ofthe expression of the genetic complement, e.g., isozyme typing profiles.It is understood that line 08540793 could be identified by any of themany well known techniques such as, for example, Simple Sequence LengthPolymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al., 1990), Randomly AmplifiedPolymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF),Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs), Arbitrary PrimedPolymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), Amplified Fragment LengthPolymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858, specifically incorporated herein byreference in its entirety), and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs)(Wang et al., 1998).

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides hybridgenetic complements, as represented by pea plant cells, tissues, plants,and seeds, formed by the combination of a haploid genetic complement ofa pea plant of the invention with a haploid genetic complement of asecond pea plant, preferably, another, distinct pea plant. In anotheraspect, the present invention provides a pea plant regenerated from atissue culture that comprises a hybrid genetic complement of thisinvention.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a plant of an inbredpea line that exhibits a combination of traits comprising a terminalflowering node, resistance to enation virus, and resistance to races 1and 2 of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi. In certain embodiments, thecombination of traits may be defined as controlled by genetic means forthe expression of the combination of traits found in pea line 08540793.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a method ofdetermining the genotype of a plant of pea line 08540793 comprisingdetecting in the genome of the plant at least a first polymorphism. Themethod may, in certain embodiments, comprise detecting a plurality ofpolymorphisms in the genome of the plant. The method may furthercomprise storing the results of the step of detecting the plurality ofpolymorphisms on a computer readable medium. The invention furtherprovides a computer readable medium produced by such a method.

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofproducing a plant derived from line 08540793, the method comprising thesteps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived from line 08540793,wherein said preparing comprises crossing a plant of the line 08540793with a second plant; and (b) crossing the progeny plant with itself or asecond plant to produce a seed of a progeny plant of a subsequentgeneration. In further embodiments, the method may additionallycomprise: (c) growing a progeny plant of a subsequent generation fromsaid seed of a progeny plant of a subsequent generation and crossing theprogeny plant of a subsequent generation with itself or a second plant;and repeating the steps for an additional 3-10 generations to produce aplant derived from line 08540793. The plant derived from line 08540793may be an inbred line, and the aforementioned repeated crossing stepsmay be defined as comprising sufficient inbreeding to produce the inbredline. In the method, it may be desirable to select particular plantsresulting from step (c) for continued crossing according to steps (b)and (c). By selecting plants having one or more desirable traits, aplant derived from line 08540793 is obtained which possesses some of thedesirable traits of the line as well as potentially other selectedtraits.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method ofproducing peas comprising: (a) obtaining a plant of pea line 08540793,wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity, and (b) collectingpeas from the plant.

Any embodiment discussed herein with respect to one aspect of theinvention applies to other aspects of the invention as well, unlessspecifically noted.

The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the standarddeviation of error for the device or method being employed to determinethe value. The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean“and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only orthe alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosuresupports a definition that refers to only alternatives and to “and/or.”When used in conjunction with the word “comprising” or other openlanguage in the claims, the words “a” and “an” denote “one or more,”unless specifically noted. The terms “comprise,” “have” and “include”are open-ended linking verbs. Any forms or tenses of one or more ofthese verbs, such as “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,”“includes” and “including,” are also open-ended. For example, any methodthat “comprises,” “has” or “includes” one or more steps is not limitedto possessing only those one or more steps and also covers otherunlisted steps. Similarly, any plant that “comprises,” “has” or“includes” one or more traits is not limited to possessing only thoseone or more traits and covers other unlisted traits.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and any specificexamples provided, while indicating specific embodiments of theinvention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changesand modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from this detaileddescription.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides methods and compositions relating to plants,seeds and derivatives of pea line 08540793. This line is a freezer peacomprising traits such as mid season maturity, intermediate sieve size,afila foliage, and a terminal flowering node. The genome of line08540793 comprises the det allele, conferring the determinate trait.“Determinate” is used here to mean a variety that has a terminal flowernode, as opposed to the common usage of “short internodes.” The nodalarrangement of line 08540793 comprises one reproductive node followed bya terminal flowering node that bears two racemes of pods and no stem.The line also carries the pa allele and produces dark green peas.Furthermore, the line carries the af allele and has afila foliage, inwhich leaflets are modified and borne as additional tendrils.

In addition, the genome of line 08540793 comprises alleles conferringresistance to a variety of diseases, such as powdery mildew, downymildew, enation virus, bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), and race 1 (truewilt) and race 2 (near wilt) of the wilt fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi. The plant type and disease resistances of line 08540793 shouldbe well suited to production areas anywhere in the world, includingcoastal areas, where peas are produced for frozen or canned processing.

Pea line 08540793 shows uniformity and stability within the limits ofenvironmental influence for the traits described hereinafter. This linealso provides sufficient seed yield. By crossing with a distinct secondplant, uniform F1 hybrid progeny can be obtained.

Line 08540793 exhibits a number of improved traits such as a terminalflowering node and resistance to enation virus and races 1 and 2 ofFusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi. The development of the line can besummarized as follows.

A. Origin and Breeding History of Pea Line 08540793

Line 08540793 was developed in Filer, Id., by pedigree selection from across between two breeding lines of complex parentage: R97 2678 as seedparent and 08590460 as pollen parent.

R97 2678 is a determinate breeding line with resistance to downy mildewthat was derived by pedigree selection from a cross of R93 2079 with R93398. R93 2079 is a breeding line with resistance to downy mildew derivedby pedigree selection from a cross of Tacoma with BoleroxMini DM(Tacoma//Bolero/MiniDM). Tacoma and Bolero are Seminis varieties. MiniDM was developed by backcrossing an allele for resistance to downymildew from JI 85, a pea accession from the John Innes germplasmcollection, into the Seminis variety Mini. R93 398 was a determinatebreeding line with freezer berry color derived by pedigree selectionfrom a cross of B387.426 a determinate breeding line developed by JerryMarx of the Geneva Agricultural Experiment Station, with theexperimental breeding line, Rally R2xDinos (B387.426//RallyR2/Dinos).Dinos is a Seminis variety. RallyR2 was developed by backcrossingresistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi, race 2, from theUniversity of Wisconsin release New Season into the Seminis varietyRally.

Line 08590460 was developed by pedigree selection from a cross of abreeding line, Skinado//RallyR2/Dinos, with Novella II. Dinos is aSeminis variety. Rally R2 was developed as described above.

December, Planted R97 2678 and 08590460 in a greenhouse in Filer, Year 1(Y1) Idaho. Crosses were made. April, Y2 Planted the F1 in a field inFiler, Idaho and allowed to self. April, Y3 Planted F2 population in afield in Filer, Idaho, and selected individual plants in the field.April, Y4 Planted F3 population in a field in Filer, Idaho, and selectedindividual plants. August, Y4 Planted F4 in a greenhouse in Filer,Idaho. Allowed to self pollinate. April, Y5 Planted F5 in a field inFiler, Idaho; selected individual plants. August, Y5 Planted F6 in agreenhouse in Filer, Idaho. Allowed to self pollinate. April, Y6 PlantedF7 line in a field in Filer, Idaho, under the number R02 1745.Observations during the growing season indicated that the line wasuniform and stable. All subsequent increases of 08540793 trace to thebulk of R02 1745. Observations during 2002 indicated that the line wasdeterminate in plant type, with a terminal flowering node, carried agood set of pods, and was resistant to powdery mildew, downy mildew,Fusarium wilt race 2, and pea enation virus. April, Y8 Space planted astock of 08540793 in a field in Filer, Idaho under the number RWD129.Harvested as 200 individual plant selections. April, Y9 Planted 08540793as an increase of 200 progenies in a field in Filer, Idaho under thenumber RWH236. Observations during the growing season confirmed thatline 08540793 is uniform and stable, and all the progenies wereharvested as one bulk.

The selection criteria used in the field represent a balance ofcharacteristics related to productivity and quality and to goodness tofit for market needs such as: afila foliage, plants with determinategrowth and few lateral branches, good yield potential, dark greenuniform frozen berry color, and resistance to foliar diseases.

Observations during Year 6 and Year 9 confirmed that pea line 08540793is uniform and stable within commercially acceptable limits. As is truewith other garden pea varieties, a small percentage of off-types canoccur within commercially acceptable limits for almost anycharacteristic during the course of repeated multiplications. Novariants are known to occur.

B. Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Pea Line 08540793

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a plant having the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of pea line 08540793. A description of the physiologicaland morphological characteristics of pea line 08540793 is presented inTable 1.

TABLE 1 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Line 08540793CHARACTERISTIC Line 08540793 1. Market Class Garden 2. Maturity NodeNumber of first Bloom 14 Number of Days Processing 68 Number of HeatUnits 1380 3. Plant Height  45 cm 4. Vine Habit Determinate, as definedabove Branching 1-2 Branches (Little Marvel) Internodes ZigzagStockiness Medium (similar to Thomas Laxton WR) Number of Nodes 15 5.Leaflets Type Semi 6. Stipules Present, clasping, marbled, and mediumsized. 7. Flower Color Venation Greenish Standard White Wing White KeelWhite 8. Pods Shape Slightly Curved End Blunt (Alaska) Color Dark Green(Alderman) Surface Rough and Dull Borne Single, Double and Triple Length7.3 cm Width  1.2 mm Number of Seeds Per Pod 8 9. Seeds (95-100Tenderometer) Color Dark Green Sieve Size: 1  4% 2 15% 3 40% 4 36% 5  5%Average: 3.23 Shape Flattened Surface Wrinkled Luster Dull Color PatternMonocolor Primary Color Creamy White Hilum Color White Cotyledon ColorYellow Grams per 100 Seeds 16 10. Disease Fusarium Wilt ResistantFusarium Wilt (Near Wilt) Resistant Pea Enation Mosaic Virus ResistantDowny Mildew Resistant to most common races Powdery Mildew ResistantYellow Bean Mosaic Resistant *These are typical values. Values may varydue to environment. Other values that are substantially equivalent arewithin the scope of the invention.

Line 08540793 has been self-pollinated and planted for a number ofgenerations to produce the homozygosity and phenotypic stability to makethis line useful in commercial seed production. No variant traits havebeen observed or are expected for this line.

Pea line 08540793, being substantially homozygous, can be reproduced byplanting seeds of the line, growing the resulting pea plant underself-pollinating or sib-pollinating conditions and harvesting theresulting seeds using techniques familiar to one of skill in the art.

C. Breeding Pea Line 08540793

One aspect of the current invention concerns methods for crossing thepea line 08540793 with itself or a second plant and the seeds and plantsproduced by such methods. These methods can be used for propagation ofline 08540793, or can be used to produce hybrid pea seeds and the plantsgrown therefrom. Hybrid seeds are produced by crossing line 08540793with second pea parent line.

The development of new varieties using one or more starting varieties iswell known in the art. In accordance with the invention, novel varietiesmay be created by crossing line 08540793 followed by multiplegenerations of breeding according to such well known methods. Newvarieties may be created by crossing with any second plant. In selectingsuch a second plant to cross for the purpose of developing novel lines,it may be desired to choose those plants which either themselves exhibitone or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibit thedesired characteristic(s) in progeny. Once initial crosses have beenmade, inbreeding and selection take place to produce new varieties. Fordevelopment of a uniform line, often five or more generations of sellingand selection are involved.

Uniform lines of new varieties may also be developed by way ofdouble-haploids. This technique allows the creation of true breedinglines without the need for multiple generations of selfing andselection. In this manner true breeding lines can be produced in aslittle as one generation. Haploid embryos may be produced frommicrospores, pollen, anther cultures, or ovary cultures. The haploidembryos may then be doubled autonomously, or by chemical treatments(e.g. colchicine treatment). Alternatively, haploid embryos may be growninto haploid plants and treated to induce chromosome doubling. In eithercase, fertile homozygous plants are obtained. In accordance with theinvention, any of such techniques may be used in connection with line08540793 and progeny thereof to achieve a homozygous line.

New varieties may be created, for example, by crossing line 08540793with any second plant and selection of progeny in various generationsand/or by doubled haploid technology. In choosing a second plant tocross for the purpose of developing novel lines, it may be desired tochoose those plants which either themselves exhibit one or more selecteddesirable characteristics or which exhibit the desired characteristic(s)in progeny. After one or more lines are crossed, true-breeding lines maybe developed.

Backcrossing can also be used to improve an inbred plant. Backcrossingtransfers a specific desirable trait from one inbred or non-inbredsource to an inbred that lacks that trait. This can be accomplished, forexample, by first crossing a superior inbred (A) (recurrent parent) to adonor inbred (non-recurrent parent), which carries the appropriate locusor loci for the trait in question. The progeny of this cross are thenmated back to the superior recurrent parent (A) followed by selection inthe resultant progeny for the desired trait to be transferred from thenon-recurrent parent. After five or more backcross generations withselection for the desired trait, the progeny are heterozygous for locicontrolling the characteristic being transferred, but are like thesuperior parent for most or almost all other loci. The last backcrossgeneration would be selfed to give pure breeding progeny for the traitbeing transferred.

The line of the present invention is particularly well suited for thedevelopment of new lines based on the elite nature of the geneticbackground of the line. In selecting a second plant to cross with08540793 for the purpose of developing novel pea lines, it willtypically be preferred to choose those plants which either themselvesexhibit one or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibitthe desired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Examples ofpotentially desirable traits include, but are not necessarily limitedto, improved resistance to viral, fungal, and bacterial pathogens,improved insect resistance, pod morphology, herbicide tolerance,environmental tolerance (e.g. tolerance to temperature, drought, andsoil conditions, such as acidity, alkalinity, and salinity), growthcharacteristics, nutritional content, taste, and texture. Improved tasteand texture applies not only to the peas themselves, but also to thepods of those varieties yielding edible pods. In peas, as in otherlegumes, taste and nutritional content are particularly affected by thesucrose and starch content.

Among fungal diseases of particular concern in peas are Ascochyla pisi,Cladosporium pisicola (leaf spot or scab), Erysiphe polygoni (powderymildew), Fusarium oxysporum (wilt), Fusarium solani (Fusarium root rot),Mycosphaerella pinodes (Mycospharella blight), Peronospora viciae (downymildew), Phythium sp. (pre emergence damping-off), Botrytis cinerea(grey mold), Aphanomyces euteiches (common root rot), Thielaviopsisbasicola (black root rot), and Sclerotina sclerotiorum (sclerotina whitemold). Pea plant viral diseases include: Bean yellow mosaic virus(BYMV), Bean leaf roll virus (BLRV), Pea Early Browning Virus (PEBV),Pea Enation Mosaic virus (PEMV), Pea Mosaic Virus (PMV), Pea seed-borneMosaic Virus (PSbMV) and Pea Streak Virus (PSV). An important bacterialdisease affecting pea plants is caused by Pseudomonas pisi (bacterialblight), (Muehlbauer et al., 1983; Davies et al. 1985; van Emden et al.,1988).

Insect pests that may be of particular concern in peas include Aphiscracivora (Groundnut aphid), Acyrthosiphon pisum (Pea aphid), Kakothripsrobustus (Pea thrips), Bruchis pisorum (Pea seed beetle), Callosobruchuschinensis (Adzuki bean seed beetle), Apion sp. (Seed weevil), Sitonalineatus (Bean weevil), Contarina pisi (Pea midge), Helicoverpa armigera(African bollworm), Diachrysia obliqua (Pod borer), Agriotis sp. (Cutworms), Cydia nigricana (Pea moth), Phytomuza horticola (Leaf minor),Heliothis Zea (American bollworm), Etiella Zinckenella (Lima bean podborer), Ophiomyia phaseoli (Bean fly), Delia platura (Bean seed fly),Tetranychus sp. (Spider mites), Pratylenchus penetrants (Root lesionnematodes), Ditylenchus dipsaci (Stem nematode), Heterodera goettingiana(Pea cyst nematode), and Meloidogyne javanica (Root knot nematode), (vanEmden et al., 1988; Muehlbauer et al., 1983).

D. Performance Characteristics

As described above, line 08540793 exhibits desirable agronomic traits,such as a terminal flowering node and resistance to several diseases. Avariety that has some of the traits of line 08540793 is Solution. One ofseveral characteristics that distinguishes the two is thepresence/absence of a terminal flowering node. Line 08540793 carries thedet allele for a terminal flowering node, producing two racemes offlowers and no stem at the second reproductive node. Solution, andpractically all other commercial pea varieties, carry the Det allele anddo not produce a terminal flowering node.

Performance characteristics of the line 08540793 were the subject of anobjective analysis of the performance traits of the line relative toother lines. The results of the analysis are presented below.

TABLE 2 Performance Characteristics For Line 08540793 Yield (Lbs/ HeatAverage Color Color acre) Units Sieve Size Intensity Uniformity Taste085 4 0793 6713 1417 3.31 4.10 3.75 3.75 085 4 0794 8614 1505 3.19 4.104.10 4.10 Solution 7200 1417 3.55 4.00 4.10 3.35 Tacoma 6999 1385 3.183.50 3.50 2.80 085 3 0731 8198 1545 2.93 4.00 3.50 3.62 Durango 79861508 4.10 3.85 3.65 3.75 Bolero 6889 1513 3.75 4.10 3.85 3.35 Estancia6930 1478 3.15 4.73 4.23 3.90 085 3 0726 7656 1548 3.40 4.48 4.38 4.00Pendleton 8210 1477 3.55 3.48 4.00 3.38 Data collected during Y9 andY10, from trials in Filer, Idaho. Subjective scales are from 1 = bad to5 = good. Heat units are a measure of time corrected for the effect ofheat on the metabolism of a pea. Averaged sieve size is a measure of theaverage size of the edible embryo. Yield, heat units, and sieve size areall corrected to a quality measure of 100 tenderometer. A tenderometermeasures the force required to crush approximately 100 grams of peas;higher values indicate tougher peas with more starch and less sugar.

TABLE 3 Performance Characteristics For Line 08540793 Average ColorColor Qx/ha Days Sieve Size Intensity Uniformity AIS 0854794 83.4 90.04.08 4.00 3.75 11.7 (det 2x af) 08540793 89.8 89.5 3.92 4.80 4.00 13.0(det af, rPM-DM- EN- R2) Pacha 84.6 89.3 3.73 3.50 3.50 13.0 Ashton 94.790.7 3.87 3.00 2.76 13.5 Tristar 96.0 90.6 4.10 3.25 3.13 13.4 Subito88.7 90.3 3.81 4.67 4.67 13.7 Solution 87.0 88.7 3.88 4.00 4.16 13.3Data collected during Y8 to Y10, from Guerbigney, France. Yield, days tomaturity, average sieve size, and AIS are all corrected to a qualitymeasure of 100 tenderometer. Subjective scales are from 1 = bad to 5 =good. “Qx/ha” is quintals per hectare, a measure of yield. “AIS” isalcohol insoluble solids, a measure of starch content with higher valuesindicating more starch. “2x”, as it occurs next to variety 08540794indicated that this variety carries two alleles for wrinkled seed; allother varieties carry a single allele for wrinkled seed.

As shown above and throughout this application, line 08540793 exhibits asuperior balance of characteristics related to productivity and qualityand to goodness to fit for market needs such as: afila foliage, plantswith determinate growth and few lateral branches, good yield potential,dark green uniform frozen berry color, and resistance to foliar diseaseswhen compared to competing lines. One important aspect of the inventionthus provides seed of the variety for commercial use.

E. Further Embodiments of the Invention

When the term pea line 08540793 is used in the context of the presentinvention, this also includes plants modified to include at least afirst desired heritable trait. Such plants may, in one embodiment, bedeveloped by a plant breeding technique called backcrossing, whereinessentially all of the desired morphological and physiologicalcharacteristics of a variety are recovered in addition to a geneticlocus transferred into the plant via the backcrossing technique. Theterm single locus converted plant as used herein refers to those peaplants which are developed by a plant breeding technique calledbackcrossing, wherein essentially all of the desired morphological andphysiological characteristics of a variety are recovered in addition tothe single locus transferred into the variety via the backcrossingtechnique.

Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improveor introduce a characteristic into the present variety. The parental peaplant which contributes the locus for the desired characteristic istermed the nonrecurrent or donor parent. This terminology refers to thefact that the nonrecurrent parent is used one time in the backcrossprotocol and therefore does not recur. The parental pea plant to whichthe locus or loci from the nonrecurrent parent are transferred is knownas the recurrent parent as it is used for several rounds in thebackcrossing protocol.

In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety of interest(recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrent parent)that carries the single locus of interest to be transferred. Theresulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to therecurrent parent and the process is repeated until a pea plant isobtained wherein essentially all of the desired morphological andphysiological characteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered inthe converted plant, in addition to the single transferred locus fromthe nonrecurrent parent.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for asuccessful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol isto alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the originalvariety. To accomplish this, a single locus of the recurrent variety ismodified or substituted with the desired locus from the nonrecurrentparent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desiredgenetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphologicalconstitution of the original variety. The choice of the particularnonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross; one ofthe major purposes is to add some commercially desirable trait to theplant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristicor trait being altered and the genetic distance between the recurrentand nonrecurrent parents. Although backcrossing methods are simplifiedwhen the characteristic being transferred is a dominant allele, arecessive allele, or an additive allele (between recessive anddominant), may also be transferred. In this instance it may be necessaryto introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desiredcharacteristic has been successfully transferred.

In one embodiment, progeny pea plants of a backcross in which 08540793is the recurrent parent comprise (i) the desired trait from thenon-recurrent parent and (ii) all of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of pea line 08540793 as determined at the 5%significance level when grown in the same environmental conditions.

Pea varieties can also be developed from more than two parents. Thetechnique, known as modified backcrossing, uses different recurrentparents during the backcrossing. Modified backcrossing may be used toreplace the original recurrent parent with a variety having certain moredesirable characteristics or multiple parents may be used to obtaindifferent desirable characteristics from each.

Many single locus traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new inbred but that can be improvedby backcrossing techniques. Single locus traits may or may not betransgenic; examples of these traits include, but are not limited to,male sterility, herbicide resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal,or viral disease, insect resistance, restoration of male fertility,modified fatty acid or carbohydrate metabolism, and enhanced nutritionalquality. These comprise genes generally inherited through the nucleus.

Direct selection may be applied where the single locus acts as adominant trait. An example of a dominant trait is the downy mildewresistance trait. For this selection process, the progeny of the initialcross are sprayed with downy mildew spores prior to the backcrossing.The spraying eliminates any plants which do not have the desired downymildew resistance characteristic, and only those plants which have thedowny mildew resistance gene are used in the subsequent backcross. Thisprocess is then repeated for all additional backcross generations.

Selection of pea plants for breeding is not necessarily dependent on thephenotype of a plant and instead can be based on genetic investigations.For example, one can utilize a suitable genetic marker which is closelygenetically linked to a trait of interest. One of these markers can beused to identify the presence or absence of a trait in the offspring ofa particular cross, and can be used in selection of progeny forcontinued breeding. This technique is commonly referred to as markerassisted selection. Any other type of genetic marker or other assaywhich is able to identify the relative presence or absence of a trait ofinterest in a plant can also be useful for breeding purposes. Proceduresfor marker assisted selection applicable to the breeding of pea are wellknown in the art. Such methods will be of particular utility in the caseof recessive traits and variable phenotypes, or where conventionalassays may be more expensive, time consuming or otherwisedisadvantageous. Types of genetic markers which could be used inaccordance with the invention include, but are not necessarily limitedto, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al.,1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNA AmplificationFingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized Amplified Regions (SCARs),Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR), Amplified FragmentLength Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858, specifically incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety), and Single NucleotidePolymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., 1998).

F. Plants Derived From Pea Line 08540793 by Genetic Engineering

Many useful traits that can be introduced by backcrossing, as well asdirectly into a plant, are those which are introduced by genetictransformation techniques. Genetic transformation may therefore be usedto insert a selected transgene into the pea line of the invention ormay, alternatively, be used for the preparation of transgenes which canbe introduced by backcrossing. Methods for the transformation of plants,including pea plants, are well known to those of skill in the art (see,e.g., Schroeder et al., 1993). Techniques which may be employed for thegenetic transformation of pea plants include, but are not limited to,electroporation, microprojectile bombardment, Agrobacterium-mediatedtransformation and direct DNA uptake by protoplasts.

To effect transformation by electroporation, one may employ eitherfriable tissues, such as a suspension culture of cells or embryogeniccallus or alternatively one may transform immature embryos or otherorganized tissue directly. In this technique, one would partiallydegrade the cell walls of the chosen cells by exposing them topectin-degrading enzymes (pectolyases) or mechanically wound tissues ina controlled manner.

A particularly efficient method for delivering transforming DNA segmentsto plant cells is microprojectile bombardment. In this method, particlesare coated with nucleic acids and delivered into cells by a propellingforce. Exemplary particles include those comprised of tungsten,platinum, and preferably, gold. For the bombardment, cells in suspensionare concentrated on filters or solid culture medium. Alternatively,immature embryos or other target cells may be arranged on solid culturemedium. The cells to be bombarded are positioned at an appropriatedistance below the macroprojectile stopping plate.

An illustrative embodiment of a method for delivering DNA into plantcells by acceleration is the Biolistics Particle Delivery System, whichcan be used to propel particles coated with DNA or cells through ascreen, such as a stainless steel or Nytex screen, onto a surfacecovered with target pea cells. The screen disperses the particles sothat they are not delivered to the recipient cells in large aggregates.It is believed that a screen intervening between the projectileapparatus and the cells to be bombarded reduces the size of projectilesaggregate and may contribute to a higher frequency of transformation byreducing the damage inflicted on the recipient cells by projectiles thatare too large.

Microprojectile bombardment techniques are widely applicable, and may beused to transform virtually any plant species.

Agrobacterium-mediated transfer is another widely applicable system forintroducing gene loci into plant cells. An advantage of the technique isthat DNA can be introduced into whole plant tissues, thereby bypassingthe need for regeneration of an intact plant from a protoplast. ModernAgrobacterium transformation vectors are capable of replication in E.coli as well as Agrobacterium, allowing for convenient manipulations(Klee et al., 1985). Moreover, recent technological advances in vectorsfor Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer have improved the arrangementof genes and restriction sites in the vectors to facilitate theconstruction of vectors capable of expressing various polypeptide codinggenes. The vectors described have convenient multi-linker regionsflanked by a promoter and a polyadenylation site for direct expressionof inserted polypeptide coding genes. Additionally, Agrobacteriumcontaining both armed and disarmed Ti genes can be used fortransformation.

In those plant strains where Agrobacterium-mediated transformation isefficient, it is the method of choice because of the facile and definednature of the gene locus transfer. The use of Agrobacterium-mediatedplant integrating vectors to introduce DNA into plant cells is wellknown in the art (Fraley et al., 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055).Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a particularly beneficialmethod for producing recombinant pea-plants. Transformed pea plants maybe obtained by incubating pea explant material with Agrobacteriumcontaining the DNA sequence of interest (U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,635; U.S.Pat. No. 5,773,693).

Transformation of plant protoplasts also can be achieved using methodsbased on calcium phosphate precipitation, polyethylene glycol treatment,electroporation, and combinations of these treatments (see, e.g.,Potrykus et al., 1985; Omirulleh et al., 1993; Fromm et al., 1986;Uchimiya et al., 1986; Marcotte et al., 1988). Transformation of plantsand expression of foreign genetic elements is exemplified in Choi et al.(1994), and Ellul et al. (2003).

A number of promoters have utility for plant gene expression for anygene of interest including but not limited to selectable markers,scoreable markers, genes for pest tolerance, disease resistance,nutritional enhancements and any other gene of agronomic interest.Examples of constitutive promoters useful for pea plant gene expressioninclude, but are not limited to, the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV)P-35S promoter, which confers constitutive, high-level expression inmost plant tissues (see, e.g., Odel et al., 1985), including monocots(see, e.g., Dekeyser et al., 1990; Terada and Shimamoto, 1990); atandemly duplicated version of the CaMV 35S promoter, the enhanced 35Spromoter (P-e35S) the nopaline synthase promoter (An et al., 1988), theoctopine synthase promoter (Fromm et al., 1989); and the figwort mosaicvirus (P-FMV) promoter as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619 and anenhanced version of the FMV promoter (P-eFMV) where the promotersequence of P-FMV is duplicated in tandem, the cauliflower mosaic virus19S promoter, a sugarcane bacilliform virus promoter, a commelina yellowmottle virus promoter, and other plant DNA virus promoters known toexpress in plant cells.

A variety of plant gene promoters that are regulated in response toenvironmental, hormonal, chemical, and/or developmental signals can beused for expression of an operably linked gene in plant cells, includingpromoters regulated by (1) heat (Callis et al., 1988), (2) light (e.g.,pea rbcS-3A promoter, Kuhlemeier et al., 1989; maize rbcS promoter,Schaffner and Sheen, 1991; or chlorophyll a/b-binding protein promoter,Simpson et al, 1985), (3) hormones, such as abscisic acid (Marcotte etal., 1989), (4) wounding (e.g., wunl, Siebertz et al., 1989); or (5)chemicals such as methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, or Safener. It mayalso be advantageous to employ organ-specific promoters (e.g., Roshal etal., 1987; Schernthaner et al., 1988; Bustos et al., 1989).

Exemplary nucleic acids which may be introduced to the pea lines of thisinvention include, for example, DNA sequences or genes from anotherspecies, or even genes or sequences which originate with or are presentin the same species, but are incorporated into recipient cells bygenetic engineering methods rather than classical reproduction orbreeding techniques. However, the term “exogenous” is also intended torefer to genes that are not normally present in the cell beingtransformed, or perhaps simply not present in the form, structure, etc.,as found in the transforming DNA segment or gene, or genes which arenormally present and that one desires to express in a manner thatdiffers from the natural expression pattern, e.g., to over-express.Thus, the term “exogenous” gene or DNA is intended to refer to any geneor DNA segment that is introduced into a recipient cell, regardless ofwhether a similar gene may already be present in such a cell. The typeof DNA included in the exogenous DNA can include DNA which is alreadypresent in the plant cell, DNA from another plant, DNA from a differentorganism, or a DNA generated externally, such as a DNA sequencecontaining an antisense message of a gene, or a DNA sequence encoding asynthetic or modified version of a gene.

Many hundreds if not thousands of different genes are known and couldpotentially be introduced into a pea plant according to the invention.Non-limiting examples of particular genes and corresponding phenotypesone may choose to introduce into a pea plant include one or more genesfor insect tolerance, such as a Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) gene, pesttolerance such as genes for fungal disease control, herbicide tolerancesuch as genes conferring glyphosate tolerance, and genes for qualityimprovements such as yield, nutritional enhancements, environmental orstress tolerances, or any desirable changes in plant physiology, growth,development, morphology or plant product(s). For example, structuralgenes would include any gene that confers insect tolerance including butnot limited to a Bacillus insect control protein gene as described in WO99/31248, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, U.S. Pat.No. 5,689,052, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, U.S.Pat. Nos. 5,500,365 and 5,880275, herein incorporated by reference ittheir entirety. In another embodiment, the structural gene can confertolerance to the herbicide glyphosate as conferred by genes including,but not limited to Agrobacterium strain CP4 glyphosate resistant EPSPSgene (aroA:CP4) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435, hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety, or glyphosate oxidoreductasegene (GOX) as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175, herein incorporatedby reference in its entirety.

Alternatively, the DNA coding sequences can affect these phenotypes byencoding a non-translatable RNA molecule that causes the targetedinhibition of expression of an endogenous gene, for example viaantisense- or cosuppression-mediated mechanisms (see, for example, Birdet al., 1991). The RNA could also be a catalytic RNA molecule (i.e., aribozyme) engineered to cleave a desired endogenous mRNA product (seefor example, Gibson and Shillito, 1997). Thus, any gene which produces aprotein or mRNA which expresses a phenotype or morphology change ofinterest is useful for the practice of the present invention.

G. Definitions

In the description and tables herein, a number of terms are used. Inorder to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, the following definitions are provided:

Allele: Any of one or more alternative forms of a gene locus, all ofwhich alleles relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cellor organism, alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding loci onhomologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing: A process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybridprogeny, for example a first generation hybrid (F₁), back to one of theparents of the hybrid progeny. Backcrossing can be used to introduce oneor more single locus conversions from one genetic background intoanother.

Crossing: The mating of two parent plants.

Cross-pollination: Fertilization by the union of two gametes fromdifferent plants.

Diploid: A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes.

Emasculate: The removal of plant male sex organs or the inactivation ofthe organs with a cytoplasmic or nuclear genetic factor conferring malesterility or a chemical agent.

Enzymes: Molecules which can act as catalysts in biological reactions.

F₁ Hybrid: The first generation progeny of the cross of two nonisogenicplants.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of a cell or organism.

Haploid: A cell or organism having one set of the two sets ofchromosomes in a diploid.

Linkage: A phenomenon wherein alleles on the same chromosome tend tosegregate together more often than expected by chance if theirtransmission was independent.

Marker: A readily detectable phenotype, preferably inherited incodominant fashion (both alleles at a locus in a diploid heterozygoteare readily detectable), with no environmental variance component, i.e.,heritability of 1.

Phenotype: The detectable characteristics of a cell or organism, whichcharacteristics are the manifestation of gene expression.

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL): Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer togenetic loci that control to some degree numerically representabletraits that are usually continuously distributed.

Regeneration: The development of a plant from tissue culture.

Self-pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigmaof the same plant.

Single Locus Converted (Conversion) Plant: Plants which are developed bya plant breeding technique called backcrossing, wherein essentially allof the desired morphological and physiological characteristics of a peavariety are recovered in addition to the characteristics of the singlelocus transferred into the variety via the backcrossing technique and/orby genetic transformation.

Substantially Equivalent: A characteristic that, when compared, does notshow a statistically significant difference (e.g., p=0.05) from themean.

Tissue Culture: A composition comprising isolated cells of the same or adifferent type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of aplant.

Transgene: A genetic locus comprising a sequence which has beenintroduced into the genome of a pea plant by transformation.

H. Deposit Information

A deposit of pea line 08540793, disclosed above and recited in theclaims, has been made with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC),10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209. The date of depositwas Jan. 19, 2007. Upon issuance of a patent, all restrictions upon thedeposit will be removed, and the deposit is intended to meet all of therequirements of 37 C.F.R. §1.801-1.809. The accession number for thosedeposited seeds of pea line 08540793 is ATCC Accession No. PTA-8161. Thedeposit will be maintained in the depository for a period of 30 years,or 5 years after the last request, or for the effective life of thepatent, whichever is longer, and will be replaced if necessary duringthat period.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byway of illustration and example for purposes of clarity andunderstanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modificationsmay be practiced within the scope of the invention, as limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

All references cited herein are hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

REFERENCES

The following references, to the extent that they provide exemplaryprocedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein, arespecifically incorporated herein by reference:

-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,635-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,365-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,693-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,275-   An et al., Plant Physiol., 88:547, 1988.-   Bird et al., Biotech. Gen. Engin. Rev., 9:207, 1991.-   Bustos et al., Plant Cell, 1:839, 1989.-   Callis et al., Plant Physiol., 88:965, 1988.-   Choi et al., Plant Cell Rep., 13: 344-348, 1994.-   Davies et al., In: Pea (Pisum sativum L.), Summerfield and Roberts    (Eds.), Williams Collins Sons and Co. Ltd, UK, 147-198, 1985.-   Dekeyser et al., Plant Cell, 2:591, 1990.-   Ellul et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 107:462-469, 2003.-   EP 534 858-   Fraley et al., Bio/Technology, 3:629-635, 1985.-   Fromm et al., Nature, 312:791-793, 1986.-   Fromm et al., Plant Cell, 1:977, 1989.-   Gibson and Shillito, Mol. Biotech., 7:125,1997-   Kevin McPhee, In: Journal of New Seeds: Innovations in production,    biotechnology, quality, and marketing; ISSN: 1522-886X, 6:2/3, 2005.-   Klee et al., Bio-Technology, 3(7):637-642, 1985.-   Kuhlemeier et al., Plant Cell, 1:471, 1989.-   Marcotte et al., Nature, 335:454, 1988.-   Marcotte et al., Plant Cell, 1:969, 1989.-   Muehlbauer et al., In: Description and culture of dry peas, USAD-ARS    Agricultural Reviews and Manuals, Western Region, California, 37:92,    1983.-   NASS Census of Agriculture, 2002.-   Odel et al., Nature, 313:810, 1985.-   Omirulleh et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 21(3):415-428, 1993.-   Potrykus et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:183-188, 1985.-   Roshal et al., EMBO J., 6:1155, 1987.-   Schaffner and Sheen, Plant Cell, 3:997, 1991.-   Schernthaner et al., EMBO J., 7:1249, 1988.-   Schroeder et al., Plant Physiol. 101(3): 751-757, 1993.-   Siebertz et al., Plant Cell, 1:961, 1989.-   Simpson et al., EMBO J., 4:2723, 1985.-   Terada and Shimamoto, Mol. Gen. Genet., 220:389, 1990.-   Uchimiya et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 204:204, 1986.-   van Emden et al., In: Pest, disease and weed problems in pea lentil    faba bean and chickpea. p., Summerfield (Ed.), Kluwer Academic    Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 519-534, 1988.-   Wang et al., Science, 280:1077-1082, 1998.-   Williams et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 1 8:6531-6535, 1990.-   WO 99/31248

1. A seed of pea line 08540793, wherein a sample of seed of pea line 08540793 has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8161.
 2. A plant of pea line 08540793, wherein a sample of seed of pea line 08540793 has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8161.
 3. A plant part of the plant of claim
 2. 4. The plant part of claim 3, wherein said part is selected from the group consisting of a seed, a pod, pollen, an ovule and a cell.
 5. A pea plant, or a part thereof, having all the physiological and morphological characteristics of the pea plant of claim
 2. 6. A tissue culture of regenerable cells of pea line 08540793, wherein a sample of seed of pea line 08540793 has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8161.
 7. The tissue culture according to claim 6, comprising cells or protoplasts from a plant part selected from the group consisting of embryos, meristems, cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, shoots, pods, pistil, flower, seed and stalks.
 8. A pea plant regenerated from the tissue culture of claim 6, wherein the regenerated plant expresses all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of pea line 08540793, wherein a sample of seed of pea line 08540793 has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8161.
 9. A method of producing pea seed, comprising crossing the plant of claim 2 with itself or a second pea plant.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the plant of pea line 08540793 is the female parent.
 11. An F1 hybrid seed produced by the method of claim
 9. 12. An F1 hybrid plant produced by growing the seed of claim
 11. 13. A method for producing a seed of a line 08540793-derived pea plant comprising the steps of: (a) crossing a pea plant of line 08540793 with a second pea plant, wherein a sample of seed of pea line 08540793 has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8 161; and (b) allowing seed of a 08540793-derived pea plant to form.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of: (c) crossing a plant grown from said 08540793-derived pea seed with itself or a second pea plant to yield additional 08540793-derived pea seed; (d) growing said additional 08540793-derived pea seed of step (c) to yield additional 08540793-derived pea plants; and (e) repeating the crossing and growing steps of (c) and (d) to generate further 08540793-derived pea plants.
 15. A method of vegetatively propagating a plant of pea line 08540793 comprising the steps of: (a) collecting tissue capable of being propagated from a plant of pea line 08540793, wherein a sample of seed of pea line 08540793 has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8161; (b)cultivating said tissue to obtain proliferated shoots; and (c)rooting said proliferated shoots to obtain rooted plantlets.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising growing plants from said rooted plantlets.
 17. A method of introducing a desired trait into pea line 08540793 comprising: (a) crossing a plant of line 08540793 with a second pea plant that comprises a desired trait to produce F1 progeny, wherein a sample of seed of pea line 08540793 has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8161; (b) selecting an F1 progeny that comprises the desired trait; (c) crossing the selected F1 progeny with a plant of line 08540793 to produce backcross progeny; (d) selecting backcross progeny comprising the desired trait and the physiological and morphological characteristic of pea line 08540793; and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) three or more times in succession to produce selected fourth or higher backcross progeny that comprise the desired trait and all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of pea line 08540793 when grown in the same environmental conditions.
 18. A pea plant produced by the method of claim
 17. 19. A method of producing a plant of pea line 08540793 comprising an added desired trait, the method comprising introducing a transgene conferring the desired trait into a plant of pea line 08540793, wherein a sample of seed of pea line 08540793 has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8161.
 20. A progeny plant of the plant of claim 1, wherein the plant expresses all of the physiological and morphological characteristics of pea line 08540793, and wherein a sample of seed of pea line 08540793 has been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8161.
 21. A seed that produces the plant of claim
 20. 22. A method of producing peas comprising: (a) obtaining the plant of claim 2, wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity, and (b) collecting peas from the plant. 